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Michael Palin on The Truth | Tantorious

Tantorious is a monthly podcast series featuring interviews with well-known authors, hosted by Allan Hoving and presented by Tantor Audio.

Michael Palin is a comedian, novelist, actor, and playwright best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries. His first novel, Hemingway’s Chair, published in 1998, was a national bestseller and a New York Times notable book of the year. His new novel, The Truth, is a warm and witty story of a journey to India.

Excerpts from the audio interview:

Q: How did you come to write novels?

A: I was always interested in all forms of writing, fiction especially. I wanted at one point to actually write a story entirely on my own. It just took a long time to find the time to do it, and that became Hemingway’s Chair. It was a good enough experience that I decided to write another one.

Q: Why are your characters often described as Everyman types?

A: They’re ordinary people who are propelled into extraordinary situations and adventures. Keith Mabbut, the main character in The Truth, is a writer who’s not particularly successful, has dreams and ambitions, and suddenly life takes a turn for the extraordinary. I think that’s what a lot of people dream about in their own lives.

Tantor is a leading independent audiobook publisher that has been serving public libraries throughout the United States and Canada for over twelve years. It was the first company to provide a shelf-ready Retail case and packaging for the public library market. Tantor’s Library Services division includes a dedicated library sales force and customer service team. Tantor now publishes more than 60 unabridged new titles a month in three formats: Library edition, Retail edition, and MP3-CD edition. Tantor audiobooks are available directly from www.tantorlibrary.com and through all major distributors.